Innocence and Evil, An Aladdin Adventure
by For the Kingdom
Summary: An episode to the Aladdin TV series I wrote because I wanted an honest episode with both Mozenrath and Jafar. It contains Aladdin's gang of friends as well as Jafar, Abis-mal, Mozenrath and Xerxes.
1. Chapter 1

Innocence and Evil: An Aladdin Adventure

Chapter 1

It was the middle of the night in the citadel in the Land of the Black Sand. Mozenrath was reclining in an armchair reading a scroll from his impressive library. He had taken his gauntlet off and it was lying on the table beside him. It was nice to take a break, however short, from the pain it caused him. It was within grabbing distance, though, in case he needed it.

Xerxes was snuggled into his little bed that sat on the very same table. He was drifting off to sleep when the doorknocker hitting the front door echoed down the corridor and into their room. Mozenrath was not fazed by nighttime visitors since most of the interaction he had with people – and others – happened after dark.

"Go answer the door, Xerxes." He commanded flatly.

Xerxes gave him an unbelieving look. "But, Xerxes sleeping—"

"Now, or your slumber will be permanent," he said darkly.

Xerxes complied, crawled out from under the covers and flew down the hall to answer the door.

"Xerxes do this, Xerxes do that," the eel turned the final corner. "Xerxes do everything!"

He bit the woven cord that hung by the door and pulled downward. The door opened a crack and Xerxes stuck his head outside.

"Who there?" His question was met with silence. Xerxes flew fully outside. This was ridiculous. "Who there?" Xerxes let out a shriek as a sack swooped out of nowhere and closed him inside.

--

"Where is that eel?" Mozenrath asked himself pensively.

He unrolled the scroll further and continued reading. Xerxes was taking a long and quiet time answering the door. It was like nothing had even happened. He listened longer and heard nothing. Xerxes must have gotten distracted.

He set the scroll on the table and stood. "If you want something done right…" he sighed, slipping his gauntlet on with the shadow of a cringe.

Walking down the hall, he noticed that the outer door had been left ajar. Was Xerxes outside talking with whoever had arrived?

"Yes?" he called as he approached. There was no answer. He pulled the door further open. "Show yourself!"

The night remained quiet. Mozenrath warily stepped outside. Something wasn't right here. Something rustled in the darkness to the left. Mozenrath turned and shot it. There was movement to the left and he zapped it with the gauntlet. Despite himself, his heart began to beat faster and cold sweat beaded on his brow. A deep and haunting laughter materialized from somewhere but no matter where he looked, it always seemed to come from somewhere else.

From someplace in the shadows, he heard a scuffle and a voice he knew. "Master run!" it cried.

Mozenrath whirled around and ran back inside, but a splay of ropes hit him from behind and wrapped around him. He fell to the floor but still managed to wriggle his way inside and kick the door closed. He managed to roll to his feet and face the door just as it burst open. He quickly aimed the gauntlet at the shadowy figure emerging from the darkness.

"Stay back or I'll destroy you!"

"Will you now?" the figure asked in a deep, slightly humorous voice. "You?" It was Jafar.

Mozenrath's eyes enlarged when he saw who it was, not because he was frightened – he had expected a force much worse than the amateur sorcerer – but because he had believed him to be dead.

"Coward!" Mozenrath barked at him. "You feared Destane and I defeated him! Why should I fear you?"

Jafar frowned, obviously not taking too kindly to Mozenrath's banter. "Much has changed since then. And besides, you were the one fleeing."

Mozenrath glared and charged his gauntlet. Jafar didn't seem the least bit worried. _Insolent man,_ he thought. _I'll teach him to trespass like this!_ He released the power towards Jafar but, to his horror, it backfired on him and electrocuted him from head to toe. He let out a cry of pain before it stopped.

"_Who_ is selling these?" he asked drowsily before falling to the floor unconscious.

---

Jafar grinned, happy his plan had gone over so well.

"Actually, that makes things easier for me, you little brat." He held up the brown sack he had caught the boy's pet inside, still struggling. He held it up to his face. "Now if only I could do the same to you."

His master, Abis-mal, cautiously approached from behind clutching the lamp closely. He peered at the unconscious sorcerer.

"Here," Jafar tossed the well sealed bag to Abis-mal. "Hold this."

Abis-mal nearly dropped it but then managed to hold on tight enough not to. A smile reached across his face as he realized what they had just done.

"This...is the Land of the Black Sand! Ha! I conquered the Land of the Black Sand!" He hopped over to Mozenrath and crouched down close to him. "Ha! In your face! Yes!"

Jafar sighed and pulled Abis-mal along. "Let's not be too hasty, Abis-mal."

He surrounded Mozenrath with a stream of magic from his finger and lifted him off the ground. He walked off down a hall to the far left that led to the dungeon. Abis-mal followed quickly, carrying the bag containing Xerxes. They walked down a stone staircase. Once they reached the dungeon, Jafar unlocked the door with the keys that hung on a nail in the wall outside the door and stepped inside. He set the boy down by a wall with shackles hanging from it and went to work untying the rope.

What was that on the young sorcerer's hand? A glove of power?

"Hm…interesting piece of work," he muttered pulling it off. Abis-mal spotted the skeleton hand underneath and promptly made a sound of disgust.

"Ew! Oh, that is so gross!"

"On the contrary," Jafar replied as he snapped the shackles closed around Mozenrath's wrists. "I think it suits him rather well." He fit the gauntlet in his breast pocket.

After some trouble, Abis-mal managed to bind Xerxes with a shackle as well; though he got bit in the process.

"I got the flying fish-thing chained up," he reported proudly.

The eel scrunched his face up in a snarl. "Stupid fat man! Mozenrath conquer you still! You too, stupid thin man!"

Abis-mal was much offended by the opinion of the creature. "Hey!" he argued. "I'll have you know, I'm an excellent swordsman and I could kill you with one swipe of my blade!"

Jafar didn't much care what the fish thought of him and ignored the argument entirely, focusing on his own diabolical plan. "Then you've fulfilled your purpose." He said quietly. He aimed his hand at Abis-mal and, using magic, yanked the lamp from his grip. Before his unfortunate master knew what was happening, Jafar had magically chained him to the wall as well.

"What are you doing?" Abis-mal demanded in a panic. "I'm your master!"

"In the sense that I can't kill you and you still have one wish left, yes. But if I have the lamp and I cannot hear you, well, I guess I can't fulfill it." He laughed and turned his back to the three prisoners. "I do so love cheating the cosmos!" He walked out of the dungeon and the door slammed behind him.

Xerxes smiled at the irony. "Fat man in trouble…"


	2. Chapter 2

Innocence and Evil: An Aladdin Adventure

Chapter 2

Inside the palace walls, under one of the many lush trees planted solely to create shade, Aladdin and his friends were reclining after a good breakfast with the sultan. Agrabah had been pretty quiet from danger lately; none of the more difficult-to-deal-withy threats had attacked in nearly a month; an unheard of length of time.

It was nice to have a break from battles, but something didn't sit well with Aladdin. Jasmine laid her head against Aladdin's shoulder.

"The shade certainly is soothing," she remarked with a contented sigh.

Genie folded his arms behind his head. "You said it, Jaz! It's like an ice cream stand in the desert." An ice cream cone appeared in Genie's hand and he promptly set to licking the cold, pink desert.

Aladdin couldn't enjoy himself. "Nothing weird has happened lately."

"Hey, what's wrong with that? I like it!" asked Iago, lighting to Genie's shoulder for a chance at his frozen treat.

"Well, I don't," Aladdin replied. "Er…I mean, I do, but it makes me feel like something big is coming. Or, like all the villains are teaming up."

Genie shivered, making Iago lose his balance. "Ooh, I know what you mean, Al. Like they're all at some terrible, evil tea party that serves salt water and wood instead of muffins and tea. And Jafar says-" Genie's head poofed into Jafar's and said in Jafar's voice, "My wood is all powerful!" Genie's head poofed back to normal. "And then Mozenrath blows jafar's wood to smithereens with his glove," Genie raised his right had which was now the gauntlet. "And Wonder Worm says-" his head turned into Xerxes. "'Mozenrath powerful!'" His head and hand went back to normal. "And then the fists are flying and the saltwater and wood go everywhere and Mechanicles says-" Genie turned completely into Mechanicles and pulled at his pigtails, knocking Iago off of his shoulder with a short squawk. "'You are all making such a mess!'" A broom poofed into existence and Genie, as Mechanicles, began meticulously sweeping the grass.

Jasmine stifled a giggle. "Ok, Genie, we get it."

Genie poofed back to normal. "Oh, sorry. Got a little carried away there."

Jasmine lifted her head to lookat Aladdin, who still seemed restless. "Maybe theyr'e worn out," she offered. "Evil beings get tired too, don't they?"

Aladdin sighed. "I don't know, Jasmine. Maybe you're right. I just feel so…" he scratched his head. "…edgy."

"Loosen up, Al," Iago said, brushing himself off. "That whole villain take-over-everything tea party would never happen. Plus, Jafar's dead, so what do we have to worry about? Relax. I say, wait for the creeps to attack and then get all heroic, ok?"

Aladdin couldn't help a lopsided smile. When had Iago ever given him good advice? Still, maybe he wwas being over cautious. Maybe there wasn't something big coming.


	3. Chapter 3

Innocence and Evil: An Aladdin Adventure

Chapter 3

Abis-mal watched fearfully as Mozenrath pulled against the restraints. Ever since he had awoken, the sorcerer had been madly yanking at the chains and yelling at Jafar. At least his flying fish thing had taken to moping, or Abis-mal might have gone crazy.

"Release me! Jafar! Come down here right now!" Mozenrath yelled.

Abis-mall winced and did his best to cover his ears. "Take it easy, will you? My ears can't take much more of this screaming! And the sound of your bone rubbing agains the shackle is beginning to make me sick."

Mozenrath glared at him and clenched his right hand. "If I had my gauntlet," he said darkly, "Why, I'd—" Just then, he disappeared, chains and all.

"Phwew!" Abis-mal sighed pleasantly. Already, the dungeon was a better place.

Mozenrath appeared, chained to the wall of the laboratory; _his_ laboratory. Just ahead, Jafar was standing at his desk, snooping about in _his_ scrolls. On the corner of the desk was – could it be? – his gauntlet! If he could reach it, he could take this man out. He glanced at Jafar, who seemed ignorant of his presence. Jafar tossed a scroll away nonchalantly and picked up another.

Mozenrath quietly pulled closer to the table and reached for the gauntlet but his chains were just shy of the necessary length. He laid back and reached his foot towards it. The toe of his boot brushed against the leather. _Almost got it…_ it brushed by again.

"I must hand it to you, boy;" Jafar said, still reading. "You certainly have a wide selection of literature." Mozenrath's leg was aching, but he reached his hardest. "Tell me," Jafar snatched the gauntlet up. "Did you steal this from Destane as well?"

Mozenrath angrily lowered his leg and stood, though his hands were forced backwards by the chains.

"I don't have to tell you anything!" he hissed. "I am more powerful than you ever will be, and I'm still young!"

Jafar struck Mozenrath across the face with the gauntlet. The blow made him stumble backwards. That really hurt. He wasn't about to let Jafar see it, though. Quickly, he stepped forward and swung his boot at Jafar's shin. Before it made contact, however, Jafar's shin turned to pure steel. Mozenrath's foot made contact with that instead.

"Ow! Ow, ow!" he exclaimed, rubbing his sore foot on his other leg. How did he do that? He must be the fastest sorcerer in the world! Or…Mozenrath had only seen one other creature change so quickly.

"You're a genie?" he asked.

Jafar pulled his lamp out form his breast pocket. "Indeed I am. With phenomenal powers your little mind could not possibly comprehend."

Mozenrath thought for a short while. Then he looked back up at Jafar. "Give me your lamp." He stated.

Jafar pulled it closer to himself. "No."

"Look," Mozenrath began, "It's obvious that dim fellow down in my dungeon—"

"I believe you mean, _my_ dungeon." Jafar corrected.

"As I said…_my_…dungeon… is your master. Ho-ho!" he laughed. "Tough break for you!"

Jafar, annoyed, lifted an eyebrow. "And your point?"

Mozenrath continued. "What has he wished for so far? Money?" he laughed again. "I think we would both agree that I would make a much better master."

"You expect me to bind my services to your whim just like that? Let's recapitulate, shall we?" He counted on his fingers. "I am all powerful, I am the ruler of the Land of the Black Sand—"

"You are not!" Mozenrath interrupted.

"My only master is locked up," Jafar continued without a pause. "As well as you, the only person who would dare oppose me. _Why_ would I give my lamp to you, oh chained-to-the-wall one?"

Mozenrath paused, and then lunged for the lamp. "Give it to me!" he commanded.

Jafar pulled it away. "Is that how you get things? Bellowing?"

"Yes! And I get them!"

Jafar frowned. "Well, this time you won't. The only one who will receive anything is me. And you, Mozenrath, shall give me everything."

"I'll not give you anything." He declared.

"I'm afraid you have no choice," Jafar sighed. He picked the gauntlet up from the table and held it in the air. Mozenrath watched in fear and wonder. Then, with a smile, Jafar made it disappear.

Mozenrath's jaw dropped and he struggled to get at Jafar. "No…no, no!" he yelled.

Jafar indulged in a long and hearty laugh.


	4. Chapter 4

Innocence and Evil: An Aladdin Adventure

Chapter 4

Night fell and Aladdin, Abu, Iago, Genie and Carpet were fast asleep in Aladdin's small, rundown home. All was still, hardly moved by the heavy, sleeping breaths of the friends.

In the darkness of the room, something blue flickered in the air by Abu's head, who sleepily opened his curious eyes. It flashed again, more aggressively until it exploded into blue and black flames surrounding the face of Mozenrath.

Abu screeched and hopped onto Aladdin, trying to wake him. "Aladdin! Aladdin!" he screeched in a semi-understandable monkey language.

Startled, Aladdin opened his eyes and struggled to sit up. "What?" he asked, alarmed. "What is it, Abu?" His question was answered when he saw the porthole wreathed in blue flame. He gasped. "Mozenrath!"

Mozenrath was solemn. "Listen, Aladdin, I don't have time to explain," he began quietly. "I need you to come to the Citadel and free me. Some idiot took it out from me and I need you to—"

Aladdin stood and crossed his arms, laughing cockily. "It looks like what goes around comes around, Mozenrath."

"You're wasting valuable time!" he said in a harsh whisper.

Off to the side, Iago yawned, awoken by their conversation. "Who are you talking to Al—ah!" he squawked. "It's Mozenrath!"

Mozenrath didn't appreciate the interruptions. "He's a genie, so if you help me get my gauntlet back—"

Aladdin couldn't help himself, the irony was too funny. "He took your gauntlet?" he asked laughingly.

Mozenrath was losing his patience. In fact, it was already gone. "Stop interrupting me! Yes, he stole my gauntlet and if I had it back, I could free myself and conquer him!"

Aladdin was serious. "Why should we get your kingdom back for you anyway?" he asked.

"Because it's rightfully mine!" Mozenrath exclaimed and then checked himself. "And also, probably more compelling to you, he has doomsday planned for Agrabah. He is going to focus all the magic he has on destroying it! Now, I don't attack Agrabah that often, do I?"

"Actually, we're kinda your prime target." Iago answered. Aladdin nodded at Iago.

"Aladdin," the sorcerer said softly. Aladdin looked back at Mozenrath. There was a look of desperation in his eye that had not been there before. "I'm pleading and I don't plead often. Help me defeat him. I think you agree that the world is a more peaceful place if I had it back."

Aladdin frowned. "It's anything but peaceful with you—"

"I said it was _more_ peaceful! Not _peaceful_!" Mozenrath wiped his left hand over his face. "Come as soon as possible…" he glanced backwards and then back to Aladdin. "Before he carries out his—ah!" a red bout of magic knocked him to the ground.

"How much time does it take to look up a spell? Idiot!" A dark voice called from inside the porthole.

The porthole seemed to overturn, it sounded like a bronze bowl of water hit the ground and the porthole disappeared.

"I know that voice," Aladdin said.

"It's Jafar come back from the dead to wreak havoc on us all!" Iago cried throwing his wings in the air.

Genie trailed from his lamp dressed in blue pajamas. "Hey, Al, what's all this about wreaking havoc?" he yawned. "I haven't gotten my forty winks yet; I'm still on twenty-four."

Iago lighted on Genie's shoulder. "Jafar's back! Do you know how bad this is?" he asked grabbing fistfuls of Genie's pajama collar. "Do you _know_ how terrible this is? And he's targeted Agrabah!" Iago hopped to the floor and began to pace. "Well, it was nice living here wihle we could. Time to find a new place!"

Genie pinched Iago's tail to stop him. "Hold up there, bird boy. We've defeated him before and we can do it again. …By the way, anybody know how he came back?" he asked.

"No clue," Iago answered, hitting Genie away from his tail. "But does it really matter? He's got crazy hard feelings towards us, especially me. I say, let the brat-who-would-be-king stay locked up and we move to a nicer, safer place. Like Greece. Nobody ever attacks Greece."

"What if Jafar isn't back?" Aladdin countered.

Iago gave him a disbelieving look. "But we all heard—"

Aladdin raised his hands. "Just hear me out. What if it's another trick by Mozenrath to lure us in?"

Genie rubbed his chin. "Hm, good point." He bent over to Abu. "Either way, ther'es a good chance Agrabah will be blown sky high considering both of their reputations." Abu nodded in agreement.

"Right," said Aladdin. "So I think we should find Jasmine and investigate."

Iago fell backwards onto Carpet in despair. "Why do I bother?" he lamented. Carpet patted him comfortingly on the head.


	5. Chapter 5

Innocence and Evil: An Aladdin Adventure

Chapter 5

The hours the miserable Abis-mal and Xerxes spent in the dungeon were long and boring. Though Xerxes disgusted Abis-mal, he was going insane with boredom. So he instituted a guessing game that he had learned when he was young. He chose one of the few numbers he knew and waited for the eel to guess it.

"Fat man stupid." Xerxes guessed.

"No," Abis-mal answered. Was that really its guess?

"Fat man ugly."

"No."

"Fat man loser."

"No, no, no!" Abis-mal exclaimed stamping his foot. "Look, creepy fish thing, we're playing a number game. I think of a number and you try to guess what it is, ok? No words! And especially nothing about 'fat man'!"

"Ok." Xerxes answered with a wicked smile.

"Alright then." Abis-mal mastered himself. "I'm thinking of a number between one and fifty. What is it?"

There was a pause as Xerxes, still hanging from the chain cuff, thought. "Mozenrath powerful." He answered.

"No, fish face! Numbers!"

"Mozenrath crush fat man!"

"No!"

"Mozenrath turn fat man into ugly mamluk. Be ugliest mamluk of all!"

"Stop!" Abis-mal commanded, loudly enough not to hear the footfalls at the top of the stairs.

Mozenrath was forced to walk ahead of Jafar, leading him to the room in which he kept most of his finished inventions. As he walked past the dungeon, he heard raised voices.

"We're not playing this game anymore!" yelled the short man chained up down there.

"Xerxes like this game."

Mozenrath smirked to himself upon hearing Xerxes. Surely his companion was giving that coward trouble. Mozenrath stopped at the cherry wood door locked by his own magic and only opened by it.

Jafar motioned calmly to the door.

"I need my gauntlet to open it." Mozenrath stated.

"Well, you're not getting it." Jafar countered, aiming his hand at the door. It disappeared.

His magic lock; gone! Apparently, this genie was more powerful than the one Aladdin had. It might possibly have been because Jafar was a sorcerer before he was a genie and the power had carried over. Jafar nudged Mozenrath inside.

Mozenrath motioned around himself. "Well here they are; my toys."

Jafar milled about, investigating anything that caught his eye.

"A collar for a thirdak." He mentioned. "Very nice. Not suitable for this particular job, though."

Mozenrath crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, trying to think of a way to imprison Jafar.

"Do you have anything that could destroy an entire kingdom?" Jafar went on.

"I did, but it blew away," he answered.

"No doubt another blunder on your part." Jafar commented, digging through another pile.

Mozenrath frowned. "On the contrary," he said, "it was my command that sent it away." He didn't like this genie believing he made mistakes.

"That's too bad." Jafar answered, sympathetic only for himself. "Do you have anything else significant or have we moved on to the parlor tricks?"

Upon getting no answer, Jafar turned and, to his annoyance, saw Mozenrath racing down the hall. He ran past the dungeon.

"Mozenrath free!" squealed Xerxes.

He had almost made it to the main corridor when he heard Jafar yell, "Stop where you are, boy!" Black goo appeared beneath his feet and he was immediately caught by it. He pulled against it, but only succeeded in losing his balance.

"Almost." Xerxes sighed sadly.

Jafar appeared before him. "How many times of being caught and bound does it take for you to know when you are beaten?" Mozenrath glared darkly at Jafar. "Come. "At Jafar's command, the goo enveloped Mozenrath up to his neck and stood him up. It then became chains wrapped solidly from his neck to his thighs and the chains tightened. Jafar walked back towards the inventions room and the chains pulled Mozenrath after him.

"I have not finished perusing your cupboards."

Mozenrath dug his heels into the floor, but to no effect. They entered the room once more. Jafar spotted something in the corner and moved the objects obscuring it.

"Ah, now this shows potential!" he exclaimed as he moved the last obstruction away from the large and ominous machine. "Pray, tell me." Jafar said, inspecting it closely. "What is this contraption's function?"

"Why should I tell you?" Mozenrath snarled.

Jafar snapped his fingers and crossbows materialized all around Mozenrath, ready to shoot.

Mozenrath smiled smugly. "You cannot kill me. _You_ are not a free genie."

"All the same, there is nothing holding me back from releasing the arrows." Jafar said easily.

Mozenrath swallowed and looked at the arrow directly before his nose. "That does sound slightly uncomfortable," he looked at Jafar. "The machine before you is one of my own design. It is capable of turning an entire kingdom to flawless crystal, citizens and all."

Jafar took the controls of the machine in his hands. "Hm, interesting. So I can point it at anything. I could turn to crystal… Agrabah, for example , and finally be rid of-"

"Aladdin." They said together.

Mozenrath smiled deviously. "Release me, Jafar, and I shall help you ruin it. For I despise Aladdin as well."

Jafar thought. "I have the gauntlet, so why bother keeping your frail form chained up? Deal." The chains disappeared from Mozenrath.

Mozenrath straightened out his clothes.

"But if you even think of escape," Jafar warned, aiming his hand at Mozenrath's face. "I'll transform you into a parrot and keep you in a cage for the rest of your miserable life."

Mozenrath's mouth and nose began transforming into a beak. He gasped and clasped it with both of his hands. The beak disappeared and he let his hands down slowly. He scowled shortly at Jafar, but then smiled slyly. He would get that genie yet.

He held out his skeletal right hand and Jafar took it gracefully. "Deal." He agreed.


	6. Chapter 6

Innocence and Evil: An Aladdin Adventure

Chapter 6

The magic carpet, piled with passengers, swooped over the dunes towards the Land of the Black Sand. Passing below, the yellow sand began to turn black. Aladdin had felt that, whether it was a trick of Mozenrath or Jafar really was back, it was important to get there as soon as possible. So they had woken Jasmine, who quickly dressed and after leaving a note for her father, flew away with them.

"Here we are. Again." Iago complained. "Do you realize how often we come here? We probably visit this clown more than we do our friends."

"As many times as it takes to keep Mozenrath at bay." Answered Aladdin. "We'll have to come in pretty high or genie and Carpet will set off the magic sensors."

"Sorry, Al," Genie apologized. "Sometimes I wish I weren't so magical."

"Don't apologize, Genie," Aladdin said with a smile.

"We're going to need your magic to defeat Mozenrath." Jasmine comforted.

"Have you kids forgotten about the bigger problem?" Iago exclaimed. "Jafar, remember?"

Carpet soared to a higher altitude and leveled off.

"Iago, I don't think Jafar is back. He couldn't be." Aladdin told him.

The Citadel came into view and they lowered to the only lit window. It was a large room with a tall, thin window that gave an idea view of the stars. Looking inside, Aladdin and the others saw a large gun-like machine with the barrel pointed towards the window they looked through and Mozenrath with his back towards them, working on it.

"See what I told you?" Aladdin whispered. "It's just Mozenrath."

Genie sighed. "Who would have thought we would reach the familiarity level where we refer to him as 'just Mozenrath'."

"Hey, why isn't he wearing his gauntlet?" Jasmine asked.

"He isn't?" asked Aladdin. Jasmine pointed down to Mozenrath who had crouched down to hammer in a bolt. He was using both hands to use the hammer and it was apparent from his skeletal right hand that he, indeed, did not have his gauntlet. "That's strange. Why do you suppose—"

Jasmine quieted him as another voice surfaced from inside the room.

"Do you really rely so much on magic that you are hopeless without it?" Jafar walked into view. "Move faster! I have waited too long for this already!" he demanded.

"It's Jafar!" Iago exclaimed loudly. Genie pinched his beak and pulled him down below the windowsill.

"Quiet, or the scary man will catch us."

"But that's impossible!" Aladdin said in a low voice. "I thought genies die when they're lamps are destroyed."

Genie rubbed the back of his neck. "Apparently he friend instead of died. I guess it doesn't kill genies." He slapped a big blue hand to his face. "Wow! If I was wrong about that, what else could I be missing? What color am I? I don't know anymore!"

Jasmine quickly covered Genie's mouth. Genie smiled sheepishly.

"So what's the plan?" she asked.

"I don't know yet," Aladdin replied. "I suppose it depends on their relationship."

"Like who's controlling who." Iago finished.

"Exactly."

Mozenrath was finishing on the machine. Building without his gauntlet was grueling. He wiped the sweat from his forehead. Jafar walked up behind him.

"Are you quite finished?" the genie asked.

Mozenrath got to his feet. "All but one part and I need my gauntlet for it."

Jafar frowned at him and aimed his hand at him threateningly. "Remember, boy." He warned.

"I'm not going anywhere." Mozenrath assured him cunningly.

Jafar pulled the gauntlet from his breast pocket and handed it to Mozenrath who slipped it on.

Mozenrath flexked his gloved hand and watched the gauntlet. He could feel its power course through him. "Finally," he muttered to himself.

Jafar turned away from him and clasped his hands behind his back, moving away to gaze at the large, glass container attached to the machine.

"Everything is perfectly in place." Jafar said. "Now for the power source." He placed his right hand on the glass. "How does one power such a weapon?"

Mozenrath hadn't taken his eyes off of the gauntlet. "I'll show you." He told him. Mozenrath whipped around, glove aglow; intending to imprison Jafar inside the glass and take back his kingdom. Jafar was ready, though. He spun as well and zapped him before he could. Jafar made Mozenrath disappear and then reappeared inside the glass container. This was bad. Jafar was going to use Mozenrath as his power source. But Mozenrath knew how much power his weapon required. He banged on the glass furiously.

"No!" he yelled.

Jafar laughed. "You fool! You thought you could trick me! Me! The most powerful being on earth!"

"Let me out, I command you!"

"Again with the commands!" Jafar crossed his arms, satisfied, against his chest.

Mozenrath hit the glass harder; he needed to get out.

Aladdin and the others watched, wide-eyed and listened intently.

Aladdin motioned everyone to listen. "Here's the plan. Stop Jafar and Mozenrath."

"But Aladdin, Mozenrath isn't doing anything!" Jasmine objected.

"Well, I'm not going to wait until he does." Aladdin replied, peering into the window again.

Jafar moved closer to the glass.

"You will power my machine and then I'll lock you up for the rest of your life in your own dungeon!" He laughed maniacally.

Mozenrath looked stunned. "But this machine was built to be powered by a genie." He protested. "It will kill me!"

Jafar touched the first lever. "Well then," he said with a sigh, "It was a pleasure doing business with you." He thrust it downward and the machine began to hum.

Mozenrath looked ghastly frightened. His outline began to glow blue and when he noticed, he hit the glass with his fists. "No!" he yelled in alarm.

"This is where we come in." Aladdin said. They swooped down in through the window, heroically.

Mozenrath, stunned, stopped banging for a moment. "Aladdin?" he asked, confused.

Jafar whirled around upon hearing them enter. "It can't be!" He hollered, shooting magic at them from his fingertips. Carpet easily dodged it.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own age?" Aladdin taunted.

Jafar growled in rage and shot at them again. As they swooped nearer Jafar, Aladdin leapt off the rug and tackled him to the ground, but he could not hold him for long because Jafar turned into sand and trailed quickly from under him. It slithered to the controls and materialized into Jafar again. Jafar grabbed the wheel that controlled position and turned it quickly towards Aladdin. He grinned wickedly.

"Goodbye, Aladdin." He said. He laughed maniacally and pulled the lever.

Mozenrath hollered and arched backwards from the pain, the blue outline of his sparking and touching the inside of the glass. A blue-green ray shot from the barrel and Aladdin just barely rolled out of the way in time. The ray hit a chair instead and turned it to crystal.

Jafar growled, aimed, and shot again but Aladdin managed to dodge. Every time he shot, he only crystallized small things lying around the room. Mozenrath was hunched over, panting heavily. Jafar glared at him. "I thought you said this thing could crystallize an entire kingdom, you snively little brat!" he snarled.

Despite the fatigue, Mozenrath's eyes still flashed. "On genie-power it does, you pathetic excuse for a cadaverous oaf!"

"And this is what vocabulary is for." Iago chimed in.

Jafar held down a second lever which produced a stead stream of the ray. He continually trained the nozzle on Aladdin as he ran, creating a line of crystallized objects. The ray soon died, however, and when it did, Jafar looked angrily to Mozenrath. Mozenrath, though, did not return the look for he was on his hands and knees, greedily sucking in air.

Aladdin used this short pause in action to run to Genie.

"Genie! I have an idea how to beat Jafar! But I need a distraction; a big one!"

Iago crawled out from underneath a crystallized chair. "I've got a better one! Fly back out that window and go to Greece!"

Genie smiled confidently. "Distraction is my middle name!" he transformed into a giant blue dragon and faced Jafar.

"Hey, Jafar!" Genie called. "Who's the most powerful being on earth again?" He blew a stream of fire into the air. Carpet flew around Jafar's head, taunting him in its own silent way.

The rest of the heroes ran out of the room and down the hall. Everyone followed Aladdin, but only he knew where they were headed; the dungeon.

"So, what is this plan of yours?" Jasmine asked.

"Jafar's a genie, right? With a master." Aladdin answered.

"Yes. So?" Jasmine prodded.

"I didn't see his master there, did you?"

"Knowing Jafar, he probably bumped him off." Iago stated.

"No, he couldn't have," Aladdin countered. "because genies can't kill."

Jasmine caught onto his idea. "So whoever his master is now, must be locked up somewhere in Mozenrath's palace!"

"Exactly," Aladdin said. "And if we can get him to finish up his wishes, Jafar will be trapped inside his lamp again."

They turned a corner and went down another hallway.

"Great plan!" Iago squawked. "I like it! Very safe! One wrinkle; how will we find his master?"

"Hey, you guys! Wait!" a frantic voice called form the bottom of a staircase concealed between two pillars.

"Wrinkle ironed out." Said Iago.

They stopped and hurried down the stairs. At the bottom it was a wooden door with metal bars in the window. Jasmine looked through the window and saw Abis-mal chained to the opposite wall.

"Abis-mal is still Jafar's master?" she asked.

Aladdin unlocked the door with the keys hanging beside it and yanked open the door. "Looks like it." He said as he entered.

Genie hit the wall, blown by a blast of magic. He resembled charcoal, smoldering and black.

"Is that all you got, Snakey?" he asked groggily. "What have you been doing lately? Obviously not practicing!"

"Why, you impudent slob, I'll roast you alive!" Jafar shot fire from his fingertips.

Genie popped up on his feet with armor. The fire hit the armor and seemed to have no effect.

"Ha-ha!" Genie laughed. 'try to get through that!" His armor heated up until it was red. "Ah! Hot metal! Hot metal!" he exclaimed. A fire extinguisher poofed into existence beside him, he took it and sprayed himself all over with it.

Jafar laughed triumphantly and shot more fire at him.

Using his lock pick, Abu worked at freeing Abis-mal.

"So let me get this straight," Abis-mal began. "you came to free me so I can run into the room with Jafar and that creepy kid with the bone hand and then you want me to wish my last wish?"

"Yes." Aladdin answered.

"That's the idea." Jasmine added.

Abis-mal's chubby mouth turned down at the corners. "Why should I help you, Aladdin? You, who foiled my plans time and time again, destroying every hope and dream I ever had." He sniffled.

"We're not the ones who locked you up." Aladdin replied.

"Yeah, good point." Abis-mal agreed. "And I really haven't gotten any good wishes out of that rotten genie yet. I have been thinking up a doozy of a wish."

The shackles were unlocked and Abis-mal rubbed his wrists. Xerxes became excited.

"Xerxes come too! Xerxes hate being stuck to the wall!" he hollered, struggling.

"No way!" Aladdin told him.

Jasmine looked at him compassionately. "But Aladdin—"

Aladdin cut her off. "Jasmine, we have who we came for. Now let's go back to the observatory before Jafar makes French fries out of Genie."

Jasmine frowned, turned on her heel and stomped off out of the room and out of sight.

"What's wrong with your girlfriend?" Abis-mal asked.

"I don't know," Aladdin answered, though he had a hunch. "Come on."

Abis-mal followed him with Abu and Iago out of the cell.

Genie fell to the floor, a black and smoking mass.

"Wow, I think I went sunbathing too long," he coughed.

Jafar upturned his hand and a ball of blue fire ignited. "Lights out, genie!" he laughed maniacally until he was thrown off balance when something furry flew up through his pant leg and into his sleeve. Abu popped his head out of his collar and scurried back down through his pant leg, this time holding the lamp! "The lamp!"

He shot at Abu, who just barely dodged it. He shot again and Abu screeched. The monkey tripped over the edge of a rug and the lamp sailed out of his grip and slid across the floor. Jafar began to laugh, but stopped dead upon seeing his master.

"What?" he demanded incredulously.

Abis-mal took the lamp in his hands with an authoritative smile. "I wish…" everyone watched intently. "I had…" Jafar coiled his arm, preparing to shoot. "A full heade of luscious hair!"

Jafar pulled at the sides of his turban in dismay.

"You imbecile!" he bellowed. "You dare waste your final wish on that? A wish that should have been my freedom?"

Abis-mal crossed his arms confidently, glad to finally be the master of his genie. "I'm waiting…"

Jafar grabbed his own wrist to stop himself, but he couldn't do it. He zapped Abis-mal's head and thick, healthy black hair grew instantly. As soon as he did so, the lamp began pulling him. He grabbed hold of the nearest lever on the machine to stop himself from returning to the lamp, but it was no use. The lever dropped and he was pulled back inside the lamp. The machine's hum grew louder and louder.

"What is happening?" asked Jasmine.

Mozenrath was terrified. "He moved the lever to an incredibly high scale! It will crystallize my entire palace!"

"That's a good thing," Iago said. "Why should we care?"

Jasmine flashed an angry glare at the bird. "Iago!"

"Because I don't have enough power in me to crystallize a palace! It will—Ahh!!" Mozenrath was cut short when his outline exploded into sparks of electricity. His outline became a blinding blue that nearly filled the glass bulb. He arched backwards in pain.

Aladdin was motionless.

Jasmine looked dumbfounded. "Aladdin, what are you doing?"

"Maybe Iago's right." Was all he replied.

"What?!" Jasmine exploded.

"Al!" Genie exclaimed. "Do you know how painful it is to be a battery? Terrible! Especially since he'll go dead forever!"

Aladdin said, thoughtfully. "I know it sounds sadistic, but think about it! Mozenrath and his fortress will be gone. Think of how much he's hurt us, Jasmine." He turned to Genie. "Especially you! We didn't really expect him to stay alive forever, did we? Didn't you ever thing that, eventually, we would conquer him for good?"

Jasmine laid a hand on Aladdin's shoulder. "But this is not the right way," she said softly. "He did nothing wrong and if we go around killing off our foes just because they are our foes, then we are no better than Mozenrath."

Aladdin looked down for a moment. "You're right." he agreed. "All of you. Except you, Iago."

Iago flinched. "What? Why the isolation?"

"We need to move fast!" Aladdin said. "Jasmine, take Abis-mal and the others to a safer place. I'll stay behind with Genie and get Mozenrath out."

Jasmine grabbed Aladdin's arm just as he was about to turn away. "We're not going anywhere." Abu and Carpet nodded in agreement.

"Well I am!" exclaimed Abis-mal. He dropped the lamp and ran out the door. "Sianara!"

Iago flew to Jasmine's shoulder. "I figure I'd better stick around too. Moral support."

"Hurry up, will you!" Mozenrath managed to snarl.

Aladdin and genie ran to the glass.

"Do you think you can break it?" Aladdin asked.

"Think?" Genie asked, turning into a missile. "I know I can! Stand back, Al!" Aladdin stepped back and Genie launched straight through the center of the container, coming out the other side with Mozenrath unconscious in his arms.

The weapon began to make threatening noises that everyone understood.

"It's gonna blow!" Aladdin exclaimed, running towards the door. "Everyone, get out of here!"

The machine began to expand and everyone ran for the door. They made it out just before the weapon exploded. Once all was quiet, they went back in; the entire room from floor to ceiling had been turned to blue-green crystal. Genie laid Mozenrath gently on the lfoor and knelt there.

"Will he be alright?" Aladdin asked.

Genie poofed himself into doctor gear and a stretched appeared beneath Mozenrath. He put his stethoscope in his ears and pressed the end of it to Mozenrath's chest.

"What do you know, he does have a heart." Genie commented. "Breathe in…" there was hardly any movement in his chest. "And breathe out…"

Genie lifted Mozenrath's eyelids and shone a light into his eyes. At first, they were unresponsive, but then his pupils focused on the light and he grunted, holding his left hand up to shield his eyes from the light. Genie made his doctor's equipment disappear.

Mozenrath looked around. "Aladdin?" he asked weakly. He struggled to a sitting position and pressed his gauntlet to his head. "Ugh…my head…"

"Yeah," Genie held his head as well. "Me too. That glass packs a punch."

Mozenrath furrowed his brow. "…you came to my rescue?"

"Why are you so surprised?" inquired Aladdin. "You asked us to come."

"Well, yes. But I didn't actually expect you." He replied. "…Why did you anyway? Oh! Stupid question. Agrabah."

"We came because of Agrabah but we saved you because it's right."

Genie placed his hands on his hips heroically. "Saving the innocent from danger wherever we go! It's our calling."

Mozenrath wobbly stood. "But I'm not innocent!"

"You were this time." Aladdin pointed out.

Mozenrath walked carefully to a lower window and leaned on it beforehis legs gave way again. He stared out at the night.

"Mozenrath," Jasmine said calmly, "we saved your life in hopes that, one day, you might use it for good."

"That will never happen, Princess." He replied quietly as he looked down at his gauntlet. "All the same," he spoke up, "I am relieved to be out of that Jafar's clutches."

Genie snapped his fingers. 'Hey, that reminds me…" he picked up Jafar's now crystallized lamp. He tied it to a giant arrow and shot the arrow out of the large window with an even larger bow. Jafar's yells of protest vibrated in the air as he sailed to the ends of the earth.

Mozenrath watched it until it had gone out of sight. When it had, he suddenly commanded them to leave.

Aladdin stood indignantly. "We just saved your life _and_ your kingdom. Don't we even get a thank you?"

Mozenrath turned to face them. "I am letting you go free. How much more of a thank you do you want?" he turned back to the window.

Jasmine laid a hand on Aladdin's forearm. "Come on, Aladdin. That's all he can manage." Aladdin sighed and followed her out.

"Who knows?" Iago squawked making the tail of their group. "Maybe next time you'll get a hug from the kid."

"I wouldn't count on that!" Mozenrath hollered, though they had already gone out of earshot.

Mozenrath sighed and watched the dawn approaching over the black sand dunes, letting his active, questioning mind wander. A little out of breath, Xerxes flew in the room.

"Aladdin and friends at main gate! Still time to trap them!" he exclaimed.

"Let them go, Xerxes." Mozenrath commanded in a low voice.

"What?!"

"Let them go." He watched their figures come into sight. "They deserve a safe ride home this morning."

Xerxes was thoroughly confused, but he trusted his master. So he shrugged it off and settled down onto Mozenrath's shoulder. Mozenrath thoughtfully stroked the eel's head as they both watched the silhouette of a genie and two people on a magic carpet flying into the sunrise.

The End


End file.
